Smoking stand



)1 l 1 r f June #3, 1950 F. T. PADEN 2,511,001

5 smoxmc STAND Filed Feb. 14, 1946 INVENTOR. fiO/ICA' f pac/ep BYPatented June 13, 1950 SMOKING STAND Frederick T. Paden, United StatesArmy,

Collingswood, N. J.

Application February 14, 1946, Serial No. 647,639

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 5 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured andused by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without thepayment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention is directed particularly to a retaining ring which formspart of the fixed structure for securing an ash tray and wastereceptacle in a smoking stand in such a manner that it is rigidlysecured therein but may be removed readily for cleaning the same.

Many different kinds of smoking stands and ash trays are now being madewhich include a compartment or receptacle communicating with the trayproper for receiving ashes, matches, butts, etc., from the tray. Somemeans for cleaning the receptacle or compartment must be provided inthis type of smoking stand or ash tray, and in one form of smoking standheretofore devised a removable waste receptacle in the form of a glassjar similar to a common Mason jar is provided which may be lifted fromthe stand, disconnected from the ash tray proper and emptied.

In this form of stand the ash tray proper is 'secured to a cap havingthreads for engaging threads on the neck of the jar, and it has acentral opening communicating with the interior of the jar so thatmaterial deposited in the tray passes through the opening and into thejar. A flange around the rim of the tray proper engages alongthe edge ofa well or aperture in the body of the smoking stand or in a separatehousing attached to the stand. Thus the tray and jar are merelysuspended in the stand and may be removed by lifting them out of the topof the stand. A disadvantage of this form of assembly is the fact thatthe tray and waste receptacle are not rigidly secured to the smokingstand, If the stand is accidently tipped over there is nothing toprevent the ash tray and waste receptacle from sliding out of the wellin the stand.

By the use of the retaining ring disclosed herein it is possible rigidlyto secure the ash tray to the smoking stand and yet not interfere withthe easy removal of the waste receptacle and the tray from the standwhen it is desired to clean either or both. The ring is provided with aflange secured to the body of the stand concentric with the edge of thewell therein and a second flange which is clamped between a bead at thebase of the threaded neck of the jar and the cap when the latter isthreaded onto the jar. Accordingly,

it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved means forrigidly securing an ash tray and waste receptacle in a smoking stand insuch a manner that they may be readily removed therefrom for cleaning.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedmeans for securing an ash tray and waste receptacle in a smoking standwhich is durable in construction, readily secured in position when thestand is being assembled and which provides a rigid construction noteasily damaged when subjected to hard usage.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedretaining ring for rigidly and removably securing a receptacle to afixed support which may be rapidly stamped from sheet metal and easilymounted in position so that the cost of manufacture and assembly isreduced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description and accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 isa side elevational view partly in section of a smoking standincorporating the improved retaining ring described herein. Figure 2 isa perspective view of the ring; and Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view showing the manner of securing the waste receptacle inposition on the stand.

In order to clearly disclose the invention it has been illustrated andwill be described as incorporated in a specific type of smoking standbut it should be obvious that the invention can be adapted to a widevariety of stands and ash trays. Referring to the drawing the smokingstand shown in Figure 1 comprises a base I0, preferably weighted, towhich a vertically extending post I I is secured by any suitable means.

Post ll may be of any desired construction, but a preferred form is madefrom metallic tubing, square in cross-section, and shaped to a formresembling an elongated C in general appearance. A square, circular orother shaped housing 12 is secured to the post adjacent its upper end bymeans of screws passing through a side wall of the housing and threadedinto the post, or by any other suitable means such as spot welding. Anopening l3 in the top of housing It has an upturned edge l4 over whichengages the beaded edge l5 of an ash tray I5 adapted to fit in theopening l3. A preferred form of ash tray is shaped like an inverted coneand has a tapering bottom wall I! with a central opening thereinthroughwhich ashes and other waste pass into a receptacle l8 communicating withthe opening in the bottom wall 11. A valve or gate of known construction(not shown) may be provided in the opening in the bottom wall to preventthe escape of stale smoke or fumes from the receptacle when live cigaror cigarette butts are dropped into the ash tray.

Receptacles of various kinds may be used in smoking stands of this type,buts-glass jars, such as an ordinary Mason'jar of pint size, have beenfound to be particularly suitable for this purpose because they caneasily be replaced if they are accidently broken. Such jars are providedwith a neck having external threads upon which a metallic cap 19 isthreaded and za'zb'ead or flange at the base of the neck against whichengages a lip 2| on the bottom edge .of the cap IS. The top, of the cap,is of course removed to provide a passage and leaving, in effect, athreaded hand provided with the lip or flangell oncits lower edge. Thecap is permanently secured to the underside of the bottom I] of the trayand is concentric with the central opening therein. Thus the wastereceptacleumaybe "connected :to or removed from the ash tray bys'crewing the jar 18 into the cap r9 err-unscrewing it therefrom.

"The construction just described could be used without further additionsth'ereto, but'in' such a "case the assembly would have" to be supportedin the stand by suspending'it fmmithe edge 14 of the opening 13, andthere would'benothing to secure the :assembly to the -housin'giziso thatit would very likely slide out of the opening l3 if the smoking stand*were accidently tipped over. To prevent this,I have providedafirustmconically shaped retaining ring indicated-generally by thenumeral 22. 'This ring may be stamped from sheet metal such as a'lightsteel. vided with an outwardly directed upper flange '23 having aninside diameter approximately -'equal 'to the diameter of openingBin-the top wall of the housing. Taperin'g downwardly from this "flange23 is a side wall zd'wliich terminates in an inwardly directed flange25. An opening 28 formed by the edges of the flange is of suffi- "cientsize to pass over thenec'k of the jar 18, but the edges of the flangeeng-age'the bea'd 20 on the jar when the jar is inserted in position'inthe ring, as best seen in Figure 1.

In the finished smoking standthe retaining ring'22 is mounted ininverted position on the under side of the top wall of the "housing l2by means-of screws 21 which pass'through apertures 28 in the upperflange 23 and are threaded into the top of the housing l2, thus rigidlysecuring the ring to the housing. Obviously, the ring could be securedin position by welding. Lock washers 39 preferably are-interposedbetween the screw head and thering when screws are used to secure thering.

An opening 29 in the bottom of the-housing l2 must be provided forinserting and removing the receptacle 18. In assembling the smokingstand the tray I6 is placed in the opening [3 in the top of the housingl2, and the jar ii! is inserted into the housing through the opening 29until the neck of the jar-passes into the aperture 26 inthe ring2'2.While the tray is held in p'osition'with one hand the jar is threadedinto the cap is with the other hand until the edges or the flange 25 aretightly gripped'between the bead 28 on the 'jar and the lip 2| on thecap. It will be apparent that in this position the ash tray l5 and thereceptacle is are rigidly secured in position, but may be removed whendesiredby unscrewing the jar from the cap.

In the preferred embodiment above described,

both the ash tray 16 and receptacle IB may be It is 'proib'odiment abovedescribed but desire to include within the scope thereof all of themodifications defined by the appended claims.

'Icla'im:

l. A smoking stand comprising a body portion 1 provided-with an opening,a downwardly extending frusto-conical ring mounted in said opening andsecured to the wall thereof, an inwardly directed flange on the loweredge of said ring, an ash tray provided with an opening in its bottomand disposed within said ring, said ash tray being provided with screwthreads on its lower end,

a flange extending lateral l'y from the lower edge *O'ftheash tray andseated on said inwardly directed flange, a waste receptacle provided'with an opening in its upper 'end, 'alaterally-extending-flange spacedbelow the top of said waste receptacle, the upper end ofthe receptaclebeing threaded and engaged with the threads of the ash tray to therebyclamp'the inwardly directed flange between the flanges on the ash trayand waste receptacle.

2. A smoking-stand ccmprisinga body portion provided with an "openingand an inwardly-directed flange having a free inner edge a removable"ash tray having a discharge opening in its bottom, a removable wasterecent "1e having an open upper end, and coinplemep a aching meansonsaid ash tray and waste rreptac-le-for detachably securing themtogether with the free edge of the inwardly-directed flange clampedbetween them.

3. 'A smoking stand comprising a body portion provided'with a circularopening in its top wall, a downwardly-extending frusto-conical ringconcentrically arranged with respectto said opening and secured to thewall of the opening, said ring having'afree inner edge,-a removable ashtray having a discharge opening in its bottom, a removable wastereceptacle having an opening in its upper end, and complementaryattaching .means on said ash tray and waste receptacle .for detachablysecuring them together with the free inner edge of the ring clampedtherebetween.

4. A smoking stand comprising a body portion provided with an opening, aring concentrically arranged with respect to said opening and secured tothe wall of the opening, said ring having a freeinner edge of lesserdiameter than the opening, a removablerash tray having a dischargeopening in its bottom, a removable waste receptacle having an opening inits upper end, the ash trayand the waste receptacle each provided withscrew-threads for detachably securing them together with the free inneredge of the ring clampedtherebetween.

5. A smoking stand comprising a body portion provided with an opening, aring concentrically arranged with respect to the opening and secured tothe wall of the opening, said ring having a free inner edge, a removableash tray having a discharge opening, an outwardly-directed annularflange on the ash tray and seated on the free inner edge of the ring, awaste receptacle provided with an opening in its upper end, anoutwardly-directed flange on the waste receptacle, and complementaryattaching means on the ash 5 tray and waste receptacle for detachablysecuring them together with the free inner edge of the ring clampedbetween the outwardly-directed flanges of the tray and receptacle.

FREDERICK T. PADEN.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Name Date Hirshstein Aug. 10, 1920 Boosey May 26, 1925 Fleming Oct. 8,1927 Fleming Oct. 18, 1927 Fleming Nov. 6, 1928 McDonald Apr. 23, 1935Kelsey June 6, 1939

